What does it mean getting Sarah

[hoophuskee]

I am an incorrigible optimist -- like @Tonyc --

• And we'll also see the traditional lineup, probably this one will start in November of Jana and Ice/Ayanna with Paige KK and Ash -- this one will allow Paige to get out from under the backboard more and Ash will be freed up for perimeter and midrange shots as well.

I'm much more of an optimist that you are in regard to Ice and Sarah. But Like you Iam optimsitic for this team.

IMO Sarah will be terrific as a result imo she will start. Just as we saw this year by putting Paige at the 4; always focus on the player rather than the position. Sarah is probably elite. So start her at the 4. She is better than Ice or Jana.

And with Ice- I think she'd be amazing with Sarah. Just as we saw with Paige at times she low posted inside vs the smaller guards even though she was a "pf." Sarah is not going to be just an outside scorer. There will be offensive sets or situations or matchups in which the center will be guarding Brady in which you put Brady at the high post so you can use Sarah down low. OFc not all the time but Genos offense isn't so only player dominant. It's fluid and he wants all his players to grow. The more they grow/expand their gmes the harder UCONN is to stop.

IMO by the threat of at times still low posting Sarah- and yes even Paige at times (and ofc Paige is the pg in which she can also low post at times)—this is how you overwhelm even good teams because you can’t defend all the threats from everywhere. And Sarah is big-tiem threat on teh inside too. It can't be juts "talk." You have to use here there at times for her to be an inside-outside threat.

For example, if a team tries to put a quicker player Sarah so they deny a bit on the outside but she doesn’t have the bulk, then why would UCONN not have Brady in as a shooter to pull the opposing center away thereby punishing the opposing player defednign Sarah in the paint? It could be much harder for a defense/quick but not that strong to deny a stonger bulkier player to get the ball in the paint vs denying her the ball in a motion offense.

 

[hoophuskee]

Many here now define success for the program as making the Final Four. I am not really one of those people, but I respect those who are.

But many that define Final Four as a success - at least these last 3 years we realized that the team has been hit with massive injuires.

So when you mention UCONN has 3 #1 recrutis -- yes they do. But two of them missed an entire year togther. ANd most of Azzi's frosh year. The 3rd one has yet to play but how certain are you that Azzi is actualy still a number 1 caliber recruit with the injuires she has sustained? If you arent then why are you mentioning it as if it is relevant?

And why would you expect UCONN to win it all with so many injuires?

 

[BostonCanuck]

Well his pretTy basketball got them to the final four this year. Oh wait…. 11 national championships

At the time he was winning all those championships, that was of course the most effective style of play. My point is that the women's college game has evolved in the decade or so since then, which requires adjustments that Geno often seems reluctant to make.

 

[BostonCanuck]

But many that define Final Four as a success - at least these last 3 years we realized that the team has been hit with massive injuires.

So when you mention UCONN has 3 #1 recrutis -- yes they do. But two of them missed an entire year togther. ANd most of Azzi's frosh year. The 3rd one has yet to play but how certain are you that Azzi is actualy still a number 1 caliber recruit with the injuires she has sustained? If you arent then why are you mentioning it as if it is relevant?

And why would you expect UCONN to win it all with so many injuires?

I didn't expect them to win it all because I don't think they would have beaten South Carolina in the final. But in the semi-final, we had two elite players in Bueckers and Edwards, and very solid supporting players, going up against the 105th ranked defense in women's Division I. And the Huskies could not score 70 points. That's disappointing to me.

In any event, I didn't mean to hijack the tread with further tales of woe about Friday night.

 

[rugbymate]

An answer to the question of what does it mean to get Sarah Strong....one could argue we are getting the quintessential UCONN player. Her mother , Allison Feaster may have been one of the classiest players to grace the game of women's college basketball. She continues to give back to the game. Her father, Danny Strong, was an outstanding D1 college basketball player who spends much of his life working in communities in support of youth development. Forgetting her off the charts basketball skills and BB IQ, she has the family experience which will probably translate into a fantastic teammate. Can't wait to see her in action. Lucky, lucky us.

 

[Bone Dog]

At the time he was winning all those championships, that was of course the most effective style of play. My point is that the women's college game has evolved in the decade or so since then, which requires adjustments that Geno often seems reluctant to make.

I think this point is partly true, but also overblown. The fact is that Geno's "pretty ball" style got a severely undermanned team to the final four. That means Geno isn't wrong in his sense of where the game is today or what adjustments need to be made. But I share the concern that "bully ball" has gained more of a foothold in D1 WCBB and that is a shame. But this doesn't mean it makes Geno's position less motion offense and switching defense obsolete. This is still the best approach to beating any team in my view. The fundamental question isn't "are they playing 'physical,'" but "do we hit our spots and make our switches effectively?"

 

[BostonCanuck]

I think this point is partly true, but also overblown. The fact is that Geno's "pretty ball" style got a severely undermanned team to the final four. That means Geno isn't wrong in his sense of where the game is today or what adjustments need to be made. But I share the concern that "bully ball" has gained more of a foothold in D1 WCBB and that is a shame. But this doesn't mean it makes Geno's position less motion offense and switching defense obsolete. This is still the best approach to beating any team in my view. The fundamental question isn't "are they playing 'physical,'" but "do we hit our spots and make our switches effectively?"

I agree with all of this. Perhaps the addition of Sarah Strong will allow for a rebalancing of the offense towards some more "hard to the rim" play that has worked so well for teams like South Carolina and Notre Dame in recent years. I'm certainly not calling for a wholesale abandonment of the motion offence, just adjustments that frankly should help in the context of the way the game is being officiated today, too.

Geno was already doing some of this via Edwards, but that project was really only partially successful, and certainly not well realized during the Iowa game. The refs were systemically unfair to Aaliyah over the course of her entire career at UConn. And her injury during the Big East tournament, itself a result of poor officiating during that game, did not help the cause for the NCAA's.

 

[Bone Dog]

I agree with all of this. Perhaps the addition of Sarah Strong will allow for a rebalancing of the offense towards some more "hard to the rim" play that has worked so well for teams like South Carolina and Notre Dame in recent years. I'm certainly not calling for a wholesale abandonment of the motion offence, just adjustments that frankly should help in the context of the way the game is being officiated today, too.

We'll have a few "hard to the rim" players next season in Aubrey and Caroline -- not how most people think of her, but Caroline is a genius in the paint -- and Paige of course. And KK's driving will work better if Sarah and Jana are present, since it won't be so easy to close her down without allowing a pocket pass. And Morgan did a lot of "hard to the rim" play at Mitty HS. She's big at 6'2" with a quick first step. And yes, Sarah should be able to as well. It's not just one player we need for this, but a lineup that reinforces it, and we may have that next year.

In the end, I think "hard to the rim" play makes the most sense in a motion offense, and Geno famously said as much two years ago in a practice when he was caught on film saying to Paige and Nika that you always have to be ready to break off a play and just go to the rim when an opportunity presents itself.

 

[Bone Dog]

Are you sure they executed it the way he drew it up? The foul that was called says they didn't.

It looks like Paige hit the screen before Aaliyah was ready. Patience in the guard is key to a successful screen.

 

[nutmegger]

The key for me is whether the head coach will finally make the necessary adjustments to his dated motion offence sufficient to allow a "Strong" forward to dominate in today's game with more physical and talented players. Geno's penchant for "pretty basketball" was again on display with that horrendous play he called in the final timeout against Iowa, a play achieved nothing except to force his star player into a small lane near the sideline between three defenders and his team's bench. That play was broken before it even began, and certainly before the offensive foul was called.

It's too bad that Lindsay Schnell's question about it was so poorly worded in the post-game presser, because it gave Geno an easy out ("I don't remember") from having to explain what he drew up there.

Great post, how true.

 

[Cuango]

The key for me is whether the head coach will finally make the necessary adjustments to his dated motion offence sufficient to allow a "Strong" forward to dominate in today's game with more physical and talented players. Geno's penchant for "pretty basketball" was again on display with that horrendous play he called in the final timeout against Iowa, a play achieved nothing except to force his star player into a small lane near the sideline between three defenders and his team's bench. That play was broken before it even began, and certainly before the offensive foul was called.

It's too bad that Lindsay Schnell's question about it was so poorly worded in the post-game presser, because it gave Geno an easy out ("I don't remember") from having to explain what he drew up there.

Yeah, the play was so broken that Paige was about to get an open look at a three to win the game! What a terrible call!
I assume you are referring to the “dated motion offense” that just got them to their 23rd final four? Get a grip!

 

[nutmegger]

Yeah, the play was so broken that Paige was about to get an open look at a three to win the game! What a terrible call!
I assume you are referring to the “dated motion offense” that just got them to their 23rd final four? Get a grip!

It did not appear to me that Paige was about to get an open look. If she had gotten a shot off, it would have been a prayer. I believe BostonCanck's description of the play is spot on. The issue is not so much 'pretty basketball". The issue was the poor nature of the play call under the given circumstances.

 

[Stinger92860]

I believe this is all wrong. It's because of Geno and because of the offense is why he got this team to the final four. In terms of team success imo your post badly misses the mark by focusing 1 play rather than the entirety of getting to the Final Four.

And this is why he continues to get players like Sarah Strong. It's because his style produces a ton of winning.

If that was the best play call out of a timeout, then I am disappointed. Multiple handoffs in the corner where spacing is tight is not generally a recipe for success. We lost 6 seconds before the foul call. Why not give Paige the ball at the top of the key? If she needs a screen give it to her up top, standing still. Tell her to get to the middle and (1) get to the rim (2) mid jumper or (3) dish for a layup only. Get the shot on the rim with 3-4 seconds left for an opportunity to rebound a miss for a put back. This ending reminded me of Mississippi State.

 

[Blond D.]

What does it mean getting Sarah? I'll let you know in about 10 months. Right now it means MAYBE we have a great player but we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Zonepress]

If you don’t see the obvious talent - the skill, the strength, the soft touch on her shots - I don’t know what to tell you. If you’re so dissatisfied with Geno’s recruiting, feel free to jump on the South Carolina bandwagon

Good one!!

 

[hoophuskee]

I didn't expect them to win it all because I don't think they would have beaten South Carolina in the final. But in the semi-final, we had two elite players in Bueckers and Edwards, and very solid supporting players, going up against the 105th ranked defense in women's Division I. And the Huskies could not score 70 points. That's disappointing to me.

In any event, I didn't mean to hijack the tread with further tales of woe about Friday night.

Gotcha. I'm going to try to tie both in and would like your opinion? I have a few questions.

I believe Sarah Strong has the potential to be extremely elite her freshman year regardless of the Offense she is put on. What it means getting Sarah Strong is that you have a potentially efficient scorer from all over the floor. With all this about Sarah, can she be a number 1 lead player this upcoming year? I say no. Which I believe everyone would agree with - Paige is. But the point I am making is that this relates to this past year.

I didn’t expect them to win because I can't recall the last time a team had 4 new freshmen within their top 7 in which they were in the range of 3-7 best on their team - ever win a championship or get to Finals. The freshmen that won - that led their teams were all-time greats (was it Stewie and Chamique?). The point is—a freshman doesn't lead you to titles or Finals unless they are all time great. I named some all-time great freshman that led their team a title. Similarly, can you name a team with so many freshman as part of the core 3 of top 6 or 4 of top 7 that weren't super elite that won a title in recent years or gotten to the Finals?


LSU had 3 prior All-Americans and an elite #1 recruit and they not only got wiped out but they only scored 74 points. This is from last year’s champion. So, why should UCONN need to score more than 70 points if they didn’t have the same firepower of LSU while being so young? To further that, do you really think Kim runs a more modern-day offense than Geno?

And to further this, Geno probably not going to change. In regard to Sarah, you don’t think Sarah will be more efficient than any of the freshmen of the top 5 frosh from last year (and throw in Booker too)? Yet UCON was more successful than these teams this past year, so why the change especially if we outproduced a teams such as LSU who had even more experience and talent and won a title?

 

[maple]

Many here now define success for the program as making the Final Four. Given that four of the six Final Four losses post-2016 have been what I consider to be bad losses to teams not better than us, I am not really one of those people. But I respect those who are.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that making the FF is the peak of success. But it’s still an incredible accomplishment to make 15 out of 16 FFs in a row. There are teams that never get there even once, let alone back to back (or back to back to back …). It speaks to sustained success.

You can admire how successful a program has been AND still want more titles, which is what every single UConn fan, former player, current player, and the coaching staff all wants.

 

[hoophuskee]

If that was the best play call out of a timeout, then I am disappointed. Multiple handoffs in the corner where spacing is tight is not generally a recipe for success. We lost 6 seconds before the foul call. Why not give Paige the ball at the top of the key? If she needs a screen give it to her up top, standing still. Tell her to get to the middle and (1) get to the rim (2) mid jumper or (3) dish for a layup only. Get the shot on the rim with 3-4 seconds left for an opportunity to rebound a miss for a put back. This ending reminded me of Mississippi State.

I agree with you. I did not and still do not like the play call. If we want to say he needs to change his last possession plays - sure.

But I was replying to the Outdated Offense comment - which I don't believe is outdated at all. I think the injuires have ravaged it's capabilities.

 

[HuskieDawg]

Yeah, the play was so broken that Paige was about to get an open look at a three to win the game! What a terrible call!
I assume you are referring to the “dated motion offense” that just got them to their 23rd final four? Get a grip!

She was nowhere close to getting an open shot. She had the Iowa center closing on her very quickly and Marshall was no more than a few feet off her hip also closing. It would have been a contested shot. If you watch the replay it’s actually Edwards who would have been wide open a the top of the key if Paige couldn’t get a clean shot and needed to make a quick pass.

i think Taurasi even said the screen didn’t work in getting Paige that open.

 

[HuskyNan]

Is this still a Sarah Strong thread?

 

[BostonCanuck]

Gotcha. I'm going to try to tie both in and would like your opinion? I have a few questions.

I believe Sarah Strong has the potential to be extremely elite her freshman year regardless of the Offense she is put on. What it means getting Sarah Strong is that you have a potentially efficient scorer from all over the floor. With all this about Sarah, can she be a number 1 lead player this upcoming year? I say no. Which I believe everyone would agree with - Paige is. But the point I am making is that this relates to this past year.

I didn’t expect them to win because I can't recall the last time a team had 4 new freshmen within their top 7 in which they were in the range of 3-7 best on their team - ever win a championship or get to Finals. The freshmen that won - that led their teams were all-time greats (was it Stewie and Chamique?). The point is—a freshman doesn't lead you to titles or Finals unless they are all time great. I named some all-time great freshman that led their team a title. Similarly, can you name a team with so many freshman as part of the core 3 of top 6 or 4 of top 7 that weren't super elite that won a title in recent years or gotten to the Finals?


LSU had 3 prior All-Americans and an elite #1 recruit and they not only got wiped out but they only scored 74 points. This is from last year’s champion. So, why should UCONN need to score more than 70 points if they didn’t have the same firepower of LSU while being so young? To further that, do you really think Kim runs a more modern-day offense than Geno?

And to further this, Geno probably not going to change. In regard to Sarah, you don’t think Sarah will be more efficient than any of the freshmen of the top 5 frosh from last year (and throw in Booker too)? Yet UCON was more successful than these teams this past year, so why the change especially if we outproduced a teams such as LSU who had even more experience and talent and won a title?

I agree that Paige will be our star player next year. But Sarah should be an effective replacement for Alliyah, and the quicker she can develop the better, because next year is probably going to be UConn's best shot to win it all given the roster they will have.

To your next point, what Geno did to get his freshman-laden team playing the way they did this season was masterful. It doesn't take the sting out of Friday's loss to Iowa, but beating USC to get to the Final Four was a moment of incredible joy and accomplishment.

Regarding the need to score more than 70 points, while I am not a conspiracy theorist, let's just say that the officiating bias against UConn does require something of an extra "margin" for UConn to win these later-round NCAA tournament games. 18 personal fouls vs. 9. And that 9 was the fewest personal fouls called against Iowa in any game all season.

So like you, I'm very optimistic about next year. With so many great players returning from injury, the nation's number one recruit, some sophomore leaps, and a hungry Paige Bueckers and Geno Auriemma, the sky is the limit!

 

[BostonCanuck]

She was nowhere close to getting an open shot. She had the Iowa center closing on her very quickly and Marshall was no more than a few feet off her hip also closing. It would have been a contested shot. If you watch the replay it’s actually Edwards who would have been wide open a the top of the key if Paige couldn’t get a clean shot and needed to make a quick pass.

i think Taurasi even said the screen didn’t work in getting Paige that open.

Fully agree about the pass to Edwards being the best option at that point, had the offensive foul not been called. Wouldn't have been an easy pass to see being available or to make over all those defenders. But I l believe Paige would have pulled it off and Alliyah would have made the short and uncontested drive to the rim to lay it in for the win.

 

[DEpup]

I'll do the Captain Obvious comment. Getting Sarah Strong means that no one else got her.....

 

[Cuango]

Fully agree about the pass to Edwards being the best option at that point, had the offensive foul not been called. Wouldn't have been an easy pass to see being available or to make over all those defenders. But I l believe Paige would have pulled it off and Alliyah would have made the short and uncontested drive to the rim to lay it in for the win.

She was nowhere close to getting an open shot. She had the Iowa center closing on her very quickly and Marshall was no more than a few feet off her hip also closing. It would have been a contested shot. If you watch the replay it’s actually Edwards who would have been wide open a the top of the key if Paige couldn’t get a clean shot and needed to make a quick pass.

i think Taurasi even said the screen didn’t work in getting Paige that open.

Oh, well if Taurasi said so, how can I believe my own eyes?

 

[Nolefan]

It looks like Paige hit the screen before Aaliyah was ready. Patience in the guard is key to a successful screen.

AE is good for an offensive foul a game trying to screen .. she does tend to move and lean into players when she doesn’t need too . Ice does a good job putting hands down and not lean shoulders towards players .. if that was a set play AE knew it was coming .. mot the reason UConn lost they just didn’t shoot well and defense kept them in it